Phonograph.



PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905` L. DEVINEAU. PHONOGRAPH.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

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No. 784,603. PATENTED MAR. 14,-1905. L. DEVINEAU.

PHONOGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1904.

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Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS DEVINEAU, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PHONOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,603, dated March 14, 195.

Application filed January 2, 1904. Serial No. 187,401.

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS DEVINEAU, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Phonographs, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to improvements in phonographs of the type wherein the head for carrying the wax cylinder is slid along under the stylus, whereby the mechanism is made more simple and more eiiicient in, operation. It also has reference to certain devices for supporting the horn in a substantially balanced position to allow the stylus to lightly rest upon the record and at the same time hold the horn to insure the mouth thereof being in alinement with the stylus and, further, to a device for holding the recordingstyllus in proper position when making recor s.

The invention may be said to consist in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in the following description, drawings, and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of my improved phonograph, the driving-inotor and speed-governor being omitted. Fig. 2 is an end view from the opposite end, omitting the horn and its support. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalseetion along the'main shaft and the revolving screw. Figs. 4 and 5 .are details, being cross-sections taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and 5 5 of Fig. 2, respectively.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the main shaft. This maybe driven by any suitable motor. A pulley a is shown on the shaft as a conventional representation of any connection to any motor. Slidably mounted on this shaft is a head B, which is adapted to receive the wax cylinder. This head has extending from it a boss or slide b, which carries a feather b', extending into a groove a in the shaft. Thus the head is compelled to rotate with lthe shaft, but may slide longitudinally thereon.

C represents a iine-threaded screw rotatably mounted parallel with the main shaft A.

Gearing l is shown as connecting this shaft with the main shaft, so that the two rotate simultaneously, though preferably at diilerent speeds. Loosely surrounding the screwshaft C is a tube D, mounted at one end in the supporting-bracket E, which carries the bearing c for the end of the screw-shaft, and at the other end in the bracket E. which surrounds the screw-shaft.

Loosely surrounding the tube D is a sleeve F, and secured to this sleeve is a hollow arm G, which contains a block H, which has teeth to mesh with the thread on the shaft C. Oceupying a notch in the arm G and block H and surrounding the sleeve F is an annular ring having a cam J and an operating projection or handle y'. The purpose of this cam is to force the block G away from the screwthreaded shaft against the force of a spring K within the hollow arm, pressing this block toward the screw-threaded shaft. Extending lengthwise of the tube D is a slot d, Fig. 4, and through this slot (when the arm G is extended in the direction toward the shaft Althe block H is adapted to pass, the sleeve F having an opening through it for this purpose. From this construction it results that if the cam-plate K is turned in the position shown in Fig. 2 the block H is forced outward against its spring K, and the arm G and sleeve F may be shifted longitudinally on the tube D or turned about the same, as desired. If, however, the arm G is swung into position so that the upper end g thereof rests upon the shaft A, then the block H is in alinement with the slot d, and if the cam-handle j is then turned down into the position shown in Fig. 4 the threaded edge of the block H will mesh with the threads of the screw C. The arm G will now be slowly moved longitudinally of the screw by means of its rotation, and this longitudinal movement will gradually shove along ahead of the arm the rotating head B. Thus it will be seen that the rotating head is given both a rotation and a longitudinal movement, so that the stylus need not travel, but may simply play in and out of the depressions on the wax cylinder.

If it is desired to use a larger size of wax cylinder than that fitting the head B, a metal bushing (indicated by the dotted lines B) is slipped over the head B and the waxcylinder placed upon the bushing.

The extreme end of the shaitAis supported by the standard T, which is pivoted to a baseplate t and has a squared end which when the standard is in the upright position bears upon a leaf-spring t, which thus holds it in this position.

In Fig. 1, V indicates the wax cylinder, which is adapted to be placed upon the large head B. The reproducing-diaphragm p2 is mounted in a casing I), which is removably secured to the end of the horn Q by a corklined ferrule p, adapted to embrace the end of the horn, and a rubber tube p', connecting the ferrule with the casing P. Thehorn has' a downwardly-extending hinged arm q, which is clamped by a set-screw g3 to a standard R, carried by the base. When the styluspoint p3, carried by the diaphragm, is in engagement with the wax on the cylinder, the horn is almost entirely balanced on its support, but bears lightly on the wax surface, the inner end playing up and down, according to the depressions therein. The rubber section p prevents this light lay from jarring the horn. I iind by actuaI practice that this method of mounting the horn and providing relative travel between the stylus and the Wax cylinder reduces to a minimum the extraneous metallic sounds which are the common characteristic of ordinary phonographs. The support R for the horn is an L- shaped member hinged at r and occupying a groove in the base-plate of the phonograph, being clamped b the set-screw r. The horn itself is collapsib e, being made of sections g',

suitably held together, as by set-screws g2 passing through one portion of the horn into nuts secured to the adjacent portion, as shown, or by other suitable means-as, for instance, screw-threading each member into its adjacent member. The horn and its standard may thus be removed and collapsed into comparatively small space.

I provide the following mechanism to support the recorder and allow its accurate placing and its easy readjustment for different sizes of cylinders. On a horizontal rail U, carried by the base-plate of the phonograph, is slidably mounted a block U', which may be clamped to the rail by a set-screw u. Rising from the block U is a cylindrical stud u, and on this is swiveled a block U2, which may be twisted around the stud as desired, being clamped in the desired position by a setscrew'u Slidably mounted upon the block U2 is a slide U3, which rigidly carries a short sleeve a3, to which the recording speakingtube is connected, and pivotally carries a short sleeve a4, to which the usual recorder is connected. This slide U3 is adjusted in and out by a screw u, which is mounted in a lug a5, rising from the block U2 and screwing into the slide. A spring a7 presses the slide toward the stud u.

By the above means the position of the recorder may be very accurately adjusted not only for different sizes of cylinders, but for each cylinder to give the very best effect, and when so adjusted the pivoting of the sleeve a4 allows the recorder to play lightly on the traveling cylinder. The speaking-tube is connected directly to the sleeve ul,where'fore the sound-vibrations pass directly to the recording-diaphragm.

n both recording and reproducing I have aimed at the same result-namely, the direct transmission of the vibrations and the light easy playing of the stylus on the wax surface,

thus making a more accurate record and minimizing the extraneous sounds.

I claiml. In a phonograph, in combination, a rotating screw, a tube surrounding the same, an arm slidable upon the tube, means carried by the arm adapted to engage the screw, and a rotating and slidable head which said arm operates to move longitudinally.

2. In a phonograph, in combination, a rotatable screw, a tube surrounding the same and having a longitudinal slot through it, an arm surrounding the tube and carrying the nut adapted to extend through said slot and engage the screw, and a rotatablehead adapted to be shifted by said arm.

3. In a phonograph, in combination, a rotatable screw, a tube surrounding the same and having a longitudinal slot through it, a sleeve surrounding the tube, an arm rigidly secured to the sleeve, a nut carried within a recess in the arm and adapted to pass through said slot into engagement with the screw,and a head adapted to carry the impression-surface and be shifted by said arm. f

4. In a phonograph, in combination, a rotatable screw, a tube surrounding the same and having a longitudinal slot therein, a sleeve surrounding said tube and slidable thereon, an arm carried by said sleeve, a nut mounted on said arm and adapted to pass through the slot in said tube and into engagement with the screw, a spring tending to bring about such engagement, an annular ring surrounding said sleeve and arranged to pass through openings in the nut and the arm, a peripheral cam upon said ring for raising said nut out of engagement with said screw, and means for rotating said ring.

5. In a phonograph, in combination, a rotatable screw, a tube surrounding the same and having a longitudinal slot therein, a sleeve surrounding said tube and loosely mounted thereon, an arm carried by said sleeve, a nut slidably mounted in said arm in a position to pass through said slot and engage said screw and having an opening therein, an annular ring loosely surrounding said sleeve and passing through the opening IOO IIO

in said nut, a peripheral cam upon said ring for raising said nut out of engagement with the screw, a stop upon said ring for engaging said arm and means for rotating said ring.

6. In a phonograph, in combination, a rotatable head, a rotatable screw, a tube surrounding the same and having a longitudinal slot therein, a sleeve surrounding said tube and slidably mounted thereon, a hollow arm carried by said sleeve and adapted to engage said head, a nut slidably mounted within said arm and adapted to passthrough the slot in the tube and into engagement with the screw, a spring within said arm and bearing upon said nut for bringing about said engagement, a ring loosely mounted upon said sleeve, a cam upon said ring adapted to engage said nut and raise the same out of engagement with the screw, and means for rotating said ring.

7. In a phonograph, in combination, a reoorderesupport including a rail, a block slidable thereon, another block swiveled to the block irst mentioned, and a tube carried by said swiveled block.

8. In a phonograph, in combination, a re- @order-support, comprising a sliding block, another block swiveled thereto, a tube-support slidable upon said swiveled block, and a screw and spring for moving said tube-support in one direction or the other.

9. In a phonograph, a recorder-support comprising the combination of a rail U, a slidinor block U having a stud u', a second bIookQUz swiveled on said stud, set-screws for clamping said two blocks, a tube-support slidably mounted upon said block U2, and means for adjusting said tube-support upon said block U2.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS DEVINEAU.

Witnesses:

ALBERT II. BATES, J. S. Kor-mg 

